Della Bella Ella
by goldvermilion87
Summary: A mysterious new Ensign arrives on board the Enterprise. Crackfic for a Mary Sue challenge at great tales.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Captain James Tiberius Kirk and his best friend and first officer, Spock, were sitting in the mess hall. Spock was calmly eating his Vulcan Plomeek Soup and almost smiling at the Blond man sitting across from him.

Captain Kirk stopped mid-bite. There was concern in his golden-hazel eyes as he saw Spock's sudden change in demeanor. Not everyone would notice it, but he could read his reliable first officer like a book.

"It is of no matter, Captain," the tall vulcan intoned.

Kirk looked disappointed. "Spock" he said sadly.

"I apologize, Jim. In truth I did see a new ensign who I do not recall. There is something familiar about her."

Kirk beamed at him, "And you never forget a face? That must drive you nuts!"

"Your pattern of sentence is illogical."

"I know, Spock. Well, let's go mind the store."

Kirk walked out of the mess hall with his loyal first officer at his shoulder.

* * *

Spock got up smoothly from where he was kneeling on the floor to meditate. He tried not to allow his frustration to show in his face, but it was difficult. He could not continue to meditate, because he had the face of the new ensign ingrained in his psyche. She reminded him of something he could hardly remember. Unremarkable with her slightly reddish brown hair and blue eyes, yet there was something.

He heard the captain's tread outside his door, and hoped, illogically, that the shorter man would enter. But it was ship's night, and his captain needed his rest. And since the events on Vulcan that they had barely discussed he had no longer felt the ability to talk to his captain as freely as he once had been able to. And his captain was not spending time with him as he once did. Perhaps the woman's cheerful face had reminded him of his broken friendship.

Since meditation was useless, Spock sat down at his Spartan desk. "Computer, show security holograms of new recruits." And he found her – Ensign Esmerelda Sophia Rosetta.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Hello, may I join you, Ensign Rosetta?" a young man asked nervously in the rec room.

The new ensign who had so attracted Spock's attention looked up and met the young lieutenant's green eyes with her blue ones. "Please call me Ella. And please sit."

He held out his hand to her. "I'm Matt – Matt Thomas. I work in the lab next to yours."

She smiled. "Nice to meet you." And they embarked on a friendly conversation about their research.

An hour later Matt said, "I am surprised at how familiar you are with the theory of Warp cartelization. It's a very specialized field."

She colored prettily. "It is a hobby, really. I don't really know very much."

"You are too modest, Ella." He smiled, then coughed and looked around the rec room. Then he cleared his throat. "There is going to be a dance on the Observation deck in two days. Would you want to accompany me there?"

Ella looked sadly. "Matt, I . . . I'm not sure that I . . . I mean . . . I – " She gathered her courage and looked him in the face. "You should know that I am not interested in a romantic relationship."

The young lieutenant's face went even redder. "I'm not proposing to you, Ella. I'm just looking for us to go have some fun."

She thought for a few moments. "No, I could not lead you on like that. I'm sorry, Matt." She touched his arm tenderly. "I'm so so sorry."

She watched Matt stomp away through a blur of tears.

* * *

Ella was working in lab 2B on a fertilizer project - the people of Bathos XI needed food badly, if they wanted to avoid a repeat of Tarsus IV. She was determined to help them. She scrunched her nose up as she measured a precise amount of hydrochloric acid. She did not realize that she was being watched.

Spock was watching her concentrate. Something about the way she pursed her lips and scrunched her nose was almost . . . the human word was "cute" he believed. But no. He was Vulcan. To think something is cute would be illogical. There was no reason to- "ENSIGN!" As if in slow motion, he saw the jar of hydrochloric acid beginning to tip. He leaped forward and caught it.

"Commander Spock, thank you!"

"Thanks are illogical, Ensign Rosetta."

"Nevertheless Commander, I must-"

"What is wrong?" Spock's chocolate brown eyes peered intently at her.

"It's nothing."

"Let me see your hand."

Ella held her hand slowly forward. Spock looked at it, and then looked up at her eyes, clouded with pain. "You are very brave, but you must go to sickbay. Doctor McCoy, though you must never tell him I said as much, is an excellent CMO."

Spock wondered what had triggered the odd emotion he saw in her eyes as she walked from the lab.

He also wondered what was triggering the odd emotions - emotions he as a Vulcan should never feel - in his own soul.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Ella was hesitating outside sickbay. She wanted badly to walk through the door. But she was afraid. Finally the pain in her hand grew to the point where she was going to enter.

And then something nearly bowled her over.

"Apologies, Ensign." He had the hint of a southern drawl. "Can I help you."

Ella could not speak. She just held up her hand.

"That looks nasty. Come in here." He led her toward a biobed, and made her sit down on it. "One moment while I get the dermal regenerator."

She stared after him as he walked toward a desk covered with medical instruments, and then returned. The pain in her hand was quickly gone.

"All better Ensign-" His blue eyes met hers for the first time. He stopped. His mouth was almost open. "W-What's your name, Ensign?"

"Ensign Ella."

"Ah. Well, I hope you feel better, Ensign?"

"Yes. Thanks."

He stared after her as she ran away without a backward glance.

* * *

McCoy stood on the edge of the dance floor. Usually he would be dancing. He was a good dancer, and none of the ladies ever refused to be his partner. But today he didn't have the heart for it. He was watching Ensign Ella swirl along with one partner after another. She looked so happy. He occasionally heard a distinctive giggle. Yet, it only brought pain to his heart. There was something about her that was so like. So very like -

"Doctor." He looked up to see the pointy-eared hobgoblin slowly approaching.

"What is it?" He was in no mood to snipe with the annoying first officer.

"I wished to consult you regarding our fertilizer project. An ensign has discovered a brilliant solution to the problem, but I want to check with you that it will have no adverse - Doctor? I do not believe that you are paying-" Spock had followed McCoy's gaze, and when he saw its object, he could no longer speak.

"There's something about that girl, Spock. I just don't know."

Spock swallowed, then fished for something to say. "Yes. Ensign Rosetta is -"

Leonard McCoy dropped the mint julep he had been holding in his hand. "What did you say her name was?"

"Ensign Rosetta as you ought to know since-" But to Spock's consternation, Dr. McCoy had fainted.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When Leonard awoke, a beautiful, well-loved face was hovering over him. He smiled at her. "Sophia." The eyes in the beautiful face welled up with tears. And then he remembered - Sophia's eyes were brown. And Sophia had gone. Left him long ago. She had -

"Sophia is my mother. I signed on to this ship as Esmerelda Sophia Rosetta. But my real name is Esmerelda Sophia Rosetta-McCoy, Father."

Leonard's eyes filled with tears.

"Father? Bones, I thought you said your daughter was named Joanna?"

Leonard hadn't noticed that Jim and Spock were also in sickbay.

"She is, Jim. This young lady can't be my daughter."

"But I am."

"No because Sophia - Sophia - "

"Who is Sophia, Doctor?" Spock loomed over his bed, now.

"Sophia was the love of my life. We met in med school. She was beautiful and kind. She was studying to be a general practitioner. We took several classes together. I planned to marry her. When we graduated, I had a six month internship on Mars. I bought the ring there - Mars diamonds are uniquely beautiful, just like she was. But when I returned to Earth - " his voice cracked. "When I returned she was . . ." He didn't need to finish the sentence. They all knew. "And that is why you _cannot_ be my daughter. Because - "

Ella was weeping. Oh, but Father, I _am_ your daughter. I have to - "

But she was cut off by the sounds of claxons.

* * *

Spock could not concentrate. The ship was under attack, and he could not focus. His captain needed him, and all he could do was stare in wonder at the little Ensign as she maneuvered the ship. Mr. Sulu had knocked his head against the console at the force of a photon torpedo's impact and had fainted. When McCoy had taken the man to sickbay, Ensign Rosetta had jumped into his seat, and was piloting the ship around asteroids and phaser fire.

"Mr. Spock! Ship's status!" Spock shook his head and bent over his viewing computer.

"We have lost one starboard engine, but shields are up again." He stared again in wonder at the Ensign. She was maneuvering like this on only one engine!

Suddenly something blinked on his console. "Captain! We have lost shields."

"Take over for me!" Ensign Rosetta had pushed the captain into her seat and run to Spock's station. She ripped the panel out and began reconnecting wires.

"Shields are back on, Captain!"

Then she ran to Checkhov's station, pressed a few buttons, and then there was silence.

"Mr. Spock?" Captain Kirk was looking toward him.

"The enemy ship has been disabled, Captain. Its environmental controls are at full capacity, but it cannot move or fire weapons."

"How is this possible?"

"I do not know, Captain."

"I don't want to hear that you don't know. Your job is to act as Science Officer! I need-"

"Captain!" Ensign Ella stood up. Fire flashed from her blue eyes. "How can you yell at Mr. Spock when he is doing the best job he possibly can You blame him for so much! And for things he cannot help. He could not help the Plak Tow! And yet you have been holding hatred for it in your soul."

Captain Kirk looked ashamed.

"I-"

"There is no way Mr. Spock could have known that I rerouted power so that I could send a sonic pulse toward their weapons and engines. It is a new technology that I discovered on my planet."

Spock gazed at her. She was incredible!

"Well, then." Captain Kirk had returned to his own seat. "Commence firing on the Klingon ship."

"Captain!" Ensign Ella looked, if possible, more angry. "You cannot fire on a weaponless ship. Every life deserves to have a chance to live. Even Klingon life. Captain, if we were to kill the unarmed, we would be worse than any Klingon who ever lived. Why do we travel the stars? Why do we risk life and limb to meet new alien life? So that peace! Peace which comes from knowledge, will spread throughout our galaxy - one day perhaps to other galaxies. We seek for peace. And you would destroy an unarmed Klingon vessel? If you did, you would not be worthy of peace."

Spock felt an impulse to stand up and cheer. But instead he looked gravely at his captain.

"Uhura, contact Starfleet command. Tell them we are towing a stranded Klingon vessel to Starbase 6."

Ensign Ella smiled. "Thank you, Captain." Then she dropped.

But she did not hit the floor. Spock, with his preternatural speed and strength caught her gently in his arms, and walked to the turbolift.

"Sickbay."


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter **4

When Ella awoke, she was in a biobed in Sickbay. Spock was standing next to her, smoothing the hair from her forehead. The moment her brilliant blue eyes opened, he called out, "Doctor McCoy!"

McCoy came running into the room. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I just came out of a healing sleep."

"A healing sleep? How the heck?"

"This is what I must tell you, Father. My mother - she was not human."

Doctor McCoy's eyes bugged. "She was from Rilassian. Not just _from _Rilassian. She was the second daughter of the Empress of the planet."

"She was a princess?"

"Yes." Ella's eyes grew misty. "Father, the day before you left Mars she was waiting for you to return. Waiting, even though it broke her heart, to tell you the terrible news. Her mother had died. She was going to ask you to come with her to the funeral, but she did not want to bother you as you prepared to come home. And then there was more news. Her elder sister had abdicated. And she had to return. She wanted to stay. Wanted to tell you about your child - the one she conceived the month before when she came to visit. Wanted to say 'yes' when you asked her to marry you. But now - We have a custom on our planet. The empress is required to marry the prince of a nation on our planet. Mother could not bear to tell you. So she made it seems as if she had died, and returned to her planet."

McCoy was weeping openly. And Spock was looking at her hard. She met his eyes.

"Spock."

"Yes?"

"I am my mother's eldest daughter."

Spock bowed his head in understanding.

* * *

Spock and Ella stood in an alcove down the hall from sickbay. Their hands were clasped. Spock was speaking brokenly.

"I - I don't know - it is illogical but - "

She put a finger to his lips. Tears were in her eyes, but she fought bravely to keep her voice steady.

"Spock, I have a duty to my people. And you to your captain. It cannot be." She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him gently on the cheek. Then she walked calmly toward the transporter room.

Spock stood firm and lifted his hand in salute. "Live long and prosper, Ensign."

She walked into the transporter room, and the door shut behind her.

Suddenly he shouted! "Ella! Wait!" He dashed into the transporter room. He paid no heed to his captain and Doctor McCoy who were standing near the controls. He ran up to her.

He held her in his arms and whispered into her wavy hair, right above her delicate ear those three words that no true Vulcan should ever utter. Yet he did not care. "I love you."

She looked at him with shining eyes and whispered something back. He looked at her, stunned for a few moments. And then he straightened, and walked back to stand beside his captain. He watched her as the captain said "Energize" and she disappeared from the platform.


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Spock and Jim were playing chess in Jim's cabin. There was little speech, but there rarely was when they played. They were enjoying the silence of their newly mended friendship. The cabin door chimed.

"Come!" Kirk didn't look up from his game, but Spock turned.

"Greetings, Doctor McCoy."

"Sit down wherever you like." Kirk waved vaguely toward his bed. Then he placed his piece down. "Checkmate, Mr. Spock."

Spock folded his hands in his lap.

"That was too easy, Mr. Spock. You aren't focused on the game."

"Don't give him a hard time, Jim," McCoy came unexpectedly to his defense. "You should know how he feels. I know I do."

The men sat in silence for several minutes, each deep in the memories of lost loves.

McCoy was the first to break the silence. "What did she say to you just before she left, Spock?"

"She said my name." He once again shook his head in wonder. And then he allowed himself a rare smile. "She said my full Vulcan name."


End file.
